


The Plan, Part I

by Da_Vinci_101 (Metonic_Cycle)



Series: Only a Bird [7]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Plotting and scheming of course!, Pre-Relationship, Salaì and Claudia and Mario all ship Lezio, What happens when you put three Lezio shippers together?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28503363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metonic_Cycle/pseuds/Da_Vinci_101
Summary: His ears catch the sound of heels tapping on the floor, and they’re quickly growing louder. He also hears the sound of a quill pen scratching on parchment, though that’s been going on for some time, unsurprisingly. It was Mario’s office, after all- obviously he spends time in it, working on things.As the source of the heel-tapping finally enters the room, Salaì hears a woman’s voice explode, “I cannot believe howstupidothey both are!” Claudia Auditore. There’s no doubt about it. Neither he nor her get along very well- that’s primarily Salaì’s own fault, seeing as he swiped some of florins from her rather large stash that she kept hidden in her room.Salaì quickly learned toneveragain touch her florins.
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze & Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Leonardo da Vinci
Series: Only a Bird [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067156
Comments: 3
Kudos: 47





	The Plan, Part I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LezioEnthusiast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LezioEnthusiast/gifts).



> I’d like to thank you, LezioEnthusiast, for your help with this fic- I really appreciate it. <3 I’m not very good with words when it comes to thanking people lol, so I guess I’ll wrap this up by saying I’m dedicating this fic to you, _amico mio_ , and I hope you enjoy it jsjfdjkjf

Salaì is ten years old when he becomes Maestro da Vinci’s assistant.

To say the man annoys the _merda_ out of him is an understatement, to say the least. So what if he swipes a few florins now and then? It’s not as if Leonardo’s even using them for anything _important_. Salaì, while still a child at his core, is also no stranger to the only consistency of the human condition: inconsistency. He doesn’t _understand_ why humans are so inconsistent with everything that they do and everyone they interact with- he doesn’t understand how people can go from wanting something one second and then not wanting it at all the next.

He does understand, however, that this is a general “rule of thumb” when it comes to humanity, and unfortunately, he’s no exception.

This, of course, frustrates Leonardo, and in turn frustrates Salaì, and that serves to frustrate the Maestro further, and so on. The most prime example is whenever the young assistant spends however many florins on things neither of them need, and then the next day decides he doesn’t want the item(s) in question anymore.

This is a very frequent occurrence.

Eventually, Leonardo gives up trying to break Salaì of his bad spending habits, and instead starts hiding his hard-earned florins in the nooks and crannies of his workshop.

Salaì discovers those hiding places very quickly.

It takes Leonardo threatening to kick him out to get him to finally cease his careless spending.

Mostly.

In spite of the rather rough start to their relationship, Salaì does secretly grow fond of Leonardo- looking up to him as a sort of father-figure. That of course doesn’t stop him from occasionally indulging in bad spending, but they do seem to get along better now. They stop yelling at each other and arguing constantly, and start to have civil discussions with one another. And despite Leonardo’s insistence that they use his hard-earned florins for only the things they need for work and such, that doesn’t stop the _artista_ from buying Salaì new clothes every other trip to the market.

And Leonardo buys him a _lot_ of clothes. To the point where it becomes almost _annoying_. Salaì has never been a fan of being practically smothered _constantly,_ especially by Leonardo.

Two years after becoming the _artista’_ s assistant, Salaì meets Ezio Auditore da Firenze for the first time. The man is intimidating. He seems to _tower_ over Salaì, despite being about the same height as Leonardo. That day is also the same day that the young assistant meets Ezio’s uncle Mario. Salaì finds he is more intimidated by Mario than he is of Ezio.

“Ezio, Mario, this is my assistant, Salaì,” Leonardo explains as he waves for the child in question to come to the workshop door. As Salaì approaches, the inventor goes on, “Salaì, these are my colleagues, Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Mario Auditore.”

 _“Salute,”_ Salaì greets, eyeing both men cautiously. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out right away that these men are assassins- why Leonardo would involve himself with such people, however, is a mystery.

After ushering the two men into the workshop, and upon Ezio saying he brought something called an “Apple of Eden,” Leonardo quickly turns to Salaì and tells him to go to the market to buy food.

“But we just went _yesterday!”_ Salaì snaps, crossing his arms and scowling.

“I am aware of that, but I still need you to go,” Leonardo says in an infuriatingly calm manner. _“Per favore?_ I would rather you not be involved in what my colleagues and I have to discuss.” When Salaì opens his mouth to protest, the _artista_ raises his hand for silence. “No, it is not _illegal_ … per say- but it’s _dangerous_ , and I would never be able to forgive myself if you were _hurt-”_

Salaì doesn’t wait for him to finish, whirling around on his heel and stomping out of the workshop. He slams the door shut behind him, muttering angrily under his breath. He’s not sure which he is more frustrated by- the fact that Leonardo isn’t willing to let him in on this weird little secret of his, or the fact that the _artista_ is sending him to the _market_ just to get him out of the workshop.

It’s probably both.

No- it’s _definitely_ both.

~~~~

When Salaì returns from the market later that afternoon, a large crate full of bread and fruits in his arms, Mario Auditore is gone. Ezio is still there, talking with Leonardo in a hushed voice. Since there are no other rooms in the workshop- save for the loft upstairs that serves as a place of storage for the Maestro’s painting supplies- even as Salaì tries not to listen, he still catches some of the words being spoken.

 **_“Leonardo, we need to talk about what happened- what I_ ** **did-”**

 **_“No, we do_ ** **not _. In fact, I would_ prefer _it if we didn’t talk about it at all.”_**

**“Per favore, _Leo! I need you to listen to me!”_**

**_“Why?! So you can make_ ** **excuses _for what_ you-”**

Salaì, after setting down his crate full of food down on the floor by the workshop table, slips back out the front door. While it seems that they’re not talking about their “Apple of Eden” or whatever it is, he feels uncomfortable listening to this conversation. Whatever dispute is going on between them, Salaì would much rather not get caught in the middle of it.

Unfortunately, their voices grow loud enough for him to hear through the walls as he sits on the bench outside with his tiny sketchbook (Leonardo had bought it for him a few months ago so Salaì could take it with him wherever he goes, if inspiration is to suddenly strike), trying to draw.

**“I _know_ I hurt you, Leonardo! I _hurt_ you, and I _knew_ it full well at the time, and by the time I came to my senses…”**

**“Ezio…”**

**_“Per favore,_** **Leonardo- please let me finish. I know there’s nothing I can do to make up for what I did to you. And I know… I know it’s too late for _us_ …”** Salaì catches the faint sound of a sob leaving Ezio’s chest. **“I just want you to know that _I’m sorry._ I am sorry for what I _said_ to you, I am sorry for what I _did_ to you, and I am sorry that it took me _five years_ to-”**

**“Ezio.”**

Their voices lower again, and Salaì can’t hear what they’re saying anymore.

He feels… not exactly exasperation, but… a _sadness_ of some sort? He honestly doubts that sadness is the right word for it, but he still has a great many words to learn (cuss words, for example). But it is close enough to describe how he feels about the situation. While of course Salaì doesn’t know the full story, he can infer from what he’s heard that Ezio and Leonardo had a disagreement some time ago, likely before he came to work as the Maestro’s assistant (if Ezio’s “five years” statement is anything to go by).

After about an hour passes, the workshop door swings open. Salaì lifts his head and sees Ezio pulling his hood low over his face, the _assassino’_ s body shuddering softly with barely contained emotion. The young assistant sits there a moment longer, watching as Ezio disappears into the crowds saturating the street. He stands up, closing up his sketchbook and sliding both it and his charcoal into the folds of his top. He finds that the workshop door has been left open, and he closes it as he steps inside. Salaì sees Leonardo sitting by the fireplace, which is now blazing with a warm fire, the _artista’_ s tired gaze locked solely on the flames dancing before him.

Salaì sees the silent tears trickling slowly down Leonardo’s cheeks, and looks away. A sneaking suspicion clicks into place, like gears, and he looks back at the inventor again.

“Why?” Salaì asks.

Leonardo jerks, and he quickly wipes his face with his hand, likely to try to hide the fact that he’d been crying. However, try as he might, there is no way he can hide the redness rimming his eyes.

“‘Why’ what?” Leonardo’s voice is hoarse, and heavy with emotion he’s clearly trying hard to keep buried.

“If you love him, why do you push him away?”

Leonardo doesn’t answer, and keeps his eyes resting on the fire in front of him.

“Maestro?”

“I… I don’t know,” the _artista_ finally mumbles. “At first, I thought that by leaving Firenze, without telling him anything, that… it would have been better for the both of us. But… he would have found me anyway. In fact, he _did_ find me, at the beginning of the mountain pass just outside of Firenze… and then… when he… I wrote to him so many times that I have lost count. And not _once_ did he write me back. Only when he came here to Venezia, to… for a job that he needed to do, did he come by my workshop.” Leonardo’s voice starts to rise a bit in volume. His fingers dig into the wood of his chair’s armrests. “And he- if he truly cared about our relationship, why didn’t he come _sooner??”_ he shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. If he _really_ loved me, he would have come _sooner_. I don’t know what it is he is trying to pull now, but I have _learned_ my _lesson_ and it is _not_ going to work.”

“I saw him when he was coming out of the workshop,” Salaì tells him, exasperation at his Maestro’s idiocy now entering his voice. “He seemed very sad. I think he was crying, just like you were.”

Leonardo finally turns his head to meet Salaì’s stern gaze.

“Don’t you think it’s time that you two stop being so _mad_ at each other, and just… be _happy??”_

“It is not that _simple-”_

Salaì throws up his hands in frustration. “It _is_ that simple- you are just too _stubborn_ to figure that out, you _old_ man! You know what- forget it. If you want to wallow in your own misery all by yourself, then that’s your problem, Maestro. Not mine.”

~~~~

Another month passes.

Then two. And then three. On the second day of the month after the third, a letter is delivered to the workshop. That same day, Leonardo announces to Salaì that they are leaving Venezia, and moving to Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni. The young assistant briefly wonders if perhaps his Maestro has finally gotten his head out of his ass, and is going to do something about his relationship problems with Ezio.

Only time will tell, he supposes.

Salaì just hopes he doesn’t have to wait too long to find out.

~~~~

As it turns out, Leonardo _still_ hasn’t gotten his head out of his ass.

Big surprise.

Leonardo and Ezio keep dancing around each other awkwardly, one of them usually walking out of a room upon seeing the other enter. It infuriates Salaì to no end. The first letter Salaì sends from the Villa to his friend Felice da Venezia is essentially a five paragraph rant about how stupid Leonardo and Ezio are. Felice writes back, expressing amusement at how the situation irks his friend so, and offering up a few solutions that might have worked for anyone else- but for these two idiots?

It’s while Salaì is sitting on the floor with his back against the balcony railing on the upper level of the Villa, reading his friend’s letter, that he learns he isn’t alone in his frustrations.

It just so happens that this spot is right above Mario Auditore’s office. Leonardo had told him more than once to stay away from there, and- naturally- Salaì did the exact opposite of what the Maestro said to. Besides, as long as the man never finds out, who cares?

His ears catch the sound of heels tapping on the floor, and they’re quickly growing louder. He also hears the sound of a quill pen scratching on parchment, though that’s been going on for some time, unsurprisingly. It was Mario’s office, after all- obviously he spends time in it, working on things.

As the source of the heel-tapping finally enters the room, Salaì hears a woman’s voice explode, “I cannot believe how _stupido_ they both are!” Claudia Auditore. There’s no doubt about it. Neither he nor her get along very well- that’s primarily Salaì’s own fault, seeing as he swiped some of florins from her rather large stash that she kept hidden in her room.

Salaì quickly learned to _never_ again touch her florins.

“What are you talking about, _nipote?”_ Mario queries. The scratching of pen against paper ceases for the moment. “Did something happen?”

“No- quite the opposite, actually!” Salaì hears the sound of something dropping onto some cushions- Claudia must be sitting down. “It is what _didn’t_ happen that angers me so. Maestro da Vinci’s head is so far up his _cazzo di culo-”_

Mario barks a laugh, but otherwise makes no interruption.

“- and Ezio… Ezio is just _giving up!_ I can see it in his eyes every time he comes walking into the room to look at the book- he doesn’t hide his emotions nearly as well as he _thinks_ he does. You would think that after all these _years_ , they would have worked things out by now. But _noooo-_ they _have_ to be the biggest _idiots_ in all of Italia, and just _sit_ on their problems until the both of them die from either old age or a stab to the gut- or both! At this point, I might as well just lock them both in that room and not let them come out until…” She pauses a moment, no doubt something clicking into place in her mind.

Salaì has been listening to the young Auditore’s rant this whole time with keen interest, and said interest only peaks further when she mentions locking them up in the Villa’s workshop.

“Until they what? Kiss and make up?” Mario asks, chuckling. He quickly adds, “I am not making fun of you or the situation, _nipote_ \- I’m only teasing. I’m also assuming you just thought of a possible solution to our little dilemma?”

“Maybe… the windows there are still boarded up, as the architect has yet to get started renovating that section of the Villa. Perhaps, if I can use my money to enlist him in installing doors… then it just might work.”

“You will need someone to close and lock one of the doors at the same time you close and lock the other one,” Mario tells her. “I can help with that.”

“Now the question is… how do we lure Ezio in there _and_ keep Leonardo from leaving at the same time?” Claudia questions, more to herself than anyone else.

It’s now that Salaì stands, and turns to peer over the balcony. “I can help keep Leonardo in the workshop,” he calls to her.

Both Mario and Claudia sit there in their chairs, staring up at the young assistant, their bewilderment shining clear as day.

“Do you make it a habit of listening in on _everything_ that goes on in here?” Mario stands up, his expression morphing from puzzlement and surprise to one of intense warning.

“Does it matter?” Salaì counters. “Whatever it is you people do here, I will figure it out eventually. But at the moment, we have a more pressing matter to attend to. The stupidity of my master and his ‘not- _ragazzo.’”_

“Very well,” Mario drawls. “But for the record, this discussion is only being postponed until we get my nephew’s love life sorted out. Once that is done, you and I are still having a good long talk about this, young man.”

 _“Bene,”_ Salaì mutters indignantly. “So then, shall we get started on the plan?”

~~~~

Leonardo can smell that something is up. The moment he sees that two doors have been added to the workshop area with locks on the _outside_ rather than the inside, he knows something is off. The fact that the architect is dodging his questions _and_ backing out of the room as if he’d been doused with scalding hot water only serves to heighten his suspicion that something strange is going on. He also finds it strange that Claudia isn’t sitting at her desk in the workshop, taking notes in her book.

Salaì approaches the inventor, rambling about a rather absurd story that recently happened to his friend in Venezia. Leonardo half-listens politely as he starts work on another painting, swiping his brush across the canvas with swift yet careful strokes.

And then Claudia drags in Ezio frantically, yelling something about someone having stolen money from the Villa’s chest.

“Calm down, sister- I will find the culprit,” Ezio tells her reassuringly.

 _“Va bene,”_ she murmurs, wiping her tear-stained face with a small silky handkerchief. Leonardo tenses at the presence of the _assassino_ , but he can’t leave without being rude and having to interrupt Salaì’s story- which the young assistant is still going on and on about. And then it all happens very quickly. Salaì suddenly stops talking and darts out of the room as fast as his legs can possibly carry him.

“Hey! Just where do you think you are goi-?!” Ezio doesn’t finish his sentence, as the sounds both of the new doors slamming cut him off. He whips his head about the room frantically. “Claudia what-??”

Claudia is now absent from the room- no doubt she also made a very hasty exit at the same time Salaì did.

Both men catch the scraping of metal locks as they slide into place, and they look at each other in astonishment. “Did they just lock us in here??” Ezio asks.

“I believe so,” Leonardo answers, setting his brush down and standing up while wiping his hands with a cloth. “I thought that there was something strange about the fact that _both_ doors’ locks were on the _outside_ , but… I shrugged it off as mere paranoia.”

 _“Cazzo,”_ Ezio mutters, shaking his head and throwing his arms up in frustration. He walks up to the nearest door and bangs on it with his fist. “I don’t know what it is you are trying to pull, dear sister, but I am going to tell you this once and only once- if you do not open this door in the next _five seconds_ , I’ll-”

 _“Pah!”_ Claudia’s voice reverberates through the door, effectively interrupting the _assassino’_ s words. “Do you hear this, Uncle? He thinks he is in a position to be making threats!” She goes on to add, “We are the ones in a position to be making threats, _fratello!_ You and Leonardo are going to stay in that room for however long it takes for the two of you to work out your _stupidi problemi di culo_ , and that is _that!!”_

Ezio shares yet another look with the _artista._

“When we get out of here,” Leonardo growls, his features settling into a scowl, “I will have Salaì’s _head_ for _this!!”_

_End of Part I_

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was supposed to be longer, but I wanted to end on a cliffhanger kinda, soooo... yeah lmao-


End file.
